In 2024 you made a personal pledge: ‘I will forge positive visibility of women’, Can you tell us more about what inspired you to make this pledge?
When I made this pledge, I was inspired by my daughter who is now 20 and will be entering the world of work in the next couple of years. When she was in her early teens, she wrote a piece for a school project on the person who had had the greatest influence on her. I was surprised and emotional to discover that she had written about me. In her own words " I have never really been a Mummy's girl". She talks about my work in her piece and how "she has managed to have a great career in a male dominated job and how difficult that has been for her". This really inspired me.
What role do you see Canada Life playing in advancing gender equality within the finance and wealth distribution industry?
I think Canada Life can play (and is already playing) a role in advancing gender equality. I was fortunate enough to be part of the inaugural Stratos Academy alongside some inspiring female leaders in financial services. The training, networking and coaching I received was excellent and gave me so much more confidence. I feel really privileged to work alongside some really great people
No aspiration is too big simply because of my gender, I believe that I can get to where I want to be
What message would you like to share with your colleagues and the wider community on this International Women's Day?
Although I have faced some hurdles in my career and it's probably taken me longer to get to where I wanted to be than some of my male counterparts, I know that some of the hurdles have been self-limiting beliefs. As my daughter Sofia says, "no aspiration is too big simply because of my gender, I believe that I can get to where I want to be".
